Her trustful look made Wei Hanzhang feel mixed emotions. Jiang was not the kind of person who would treat a concubine's daughter harshly. She had learned all the rules and etiquette, as well as poetry, calligraphy, and painting. So he could not understand why a noble lady from a marquis's mansion could develop such a temper.

Even Jiang Zhixue isn't so timid.

If I really get married in the future, how can I be the mistress of the family with this personality? Not to mention interacting with my in-laws, I can't even control my husband's concubines, right?

Looking at this sister who is more than a year older than me, I always feel that she is the younger sister who needs to be taken care of.

For a moment, Wei Hanzhang even started to worry about being a mother.

…………

The carriage stopped at Wenxuan Bookstore, the largest bookstore in the capital.

Next year will be the spring examination, which is held every three years. In recent months, many candidates from all over the country have come to the capital to prepare for the exam in advance.

The bookstore has three floors. Most of the customers are scholars and candidates for higher education, but there are also young ladies who come here to buy some pens, ink, calligraphy and paintings.

With the open-minded society nowadays, it is common for young ladies to travel with their companions. Some even go to bookstores and teahouses specifically to see if they can pick out a potential husband among the scholars from other places.

By the time of the wedding night or when one’s name is on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, it will be a beautiful story.

Wei Hanzhang had come several times before, and she was familiar with wearing a veil hat. Seeing Wei Hansu looking at her, she said, "Seventh sister, do you find it strange? The main reason is that when I was in Xuzhou, my grandmother ordered me to wear a veil hat every time I went out. After so many years, I've gotten used to it."

"It's not strange. I just think that Ranran looks even better with the veil on." Wei Hansu had a hint of envy in his eyes, "Ranran is so good-looking."

Wei Hanzhang couldn't bear to see her lack of confidence, so he praised her: "You are all in your prime years, and every girl is uniquely beautiful. Seventh sister is also a flower-like figure, so why envy others?"

This is true. Wei Hansu's appearance is indeed good. She is graceful and beautiful, like a lotus emerging from the water, without any sense of fragility.

The two sisters got out of the car. Wei Hansu was not wearing a veil. As she entered the library, countless eyes were focused on her face, making her face blush.

"Am I right?" Wei Hanzhang struck while the iron was hot and whispered, "Sister, you can be bolder. Now you are no longer the concubine of the second house of the Marquis's Mansion, but the only unmarried girl in the Duke's Mansion. How many people in the whole capital are more noble than you?"

There is one thing Wei Hanzhang didn't say, that is, she is also the sister of the current Crown Princess.

Just for this reason, there are few unmarried girls in the capital who can surpass Wei Hansu.

Wei Hanzhang bought more than twenty newly published storybooks on the second floor, as well as several sets of pictures, so that he could fill in the pictures and write when he had nothing to do.

In less than half an hour, they had bought everything. After Mei Gu was loaded onto the carriage and the two girls were waiting to get on, Wei Hanzhang saw the busier teahouse across the street. His eyes lit up and he asked quietly, "Seventh sister, do you want to go to the teahouse?"

Make a pot of cold tea, sit down and listen to a storyteller talk about the latest hot topics in Beijing. This is a daily entertainment activity for many Beijing residents.

Every time Wei Hanzhang went out, he came in a hurry, bought things, and left in a hurry. Today he had a rare chance to enjoy himself, and Wei Hansu was not the kind of person who would spoil the fun.

Hearing this, she looked across at the crowded teahouse and nodded, "Then let's go shopping?"

The look in her eyes was like that of a primary school student who was about to skip class, which made Wei Hanzhang amused. She found that her seventh sister was quite interesting.

Just across the street, there was no need to take a carriage. Wei Hanzhang was about to take Wei Hanyu's hand and go over when they heard the sound of several horses galloping not far away on the already busy street.

Several shouts rang out from the crowd.

"——The adults from Dali Temple have returned."

Wei Hanzhang thought of the Dali Temple, which seemed to be not far away. She frowned and pulled Wei Hanyu to stand at the door of the library, waiting for people to pass by.

Not long after, several men on tall horses came at a not too fast speed, whipping their horses.

Who else could be the leader if not Chen Zishu?

Wei Hanzhang's frown gradually relaxed. This speed would not disturb others. She had originally thought that these vendors were avoiding her so familiarly...

Thinking of this, she felt as if she had misunderstood someone else's apology and quickly looked away. However, she didn't know that the man on the horse looked over here the next moment she looked away.

After everyone had walked a long way, Wei Hanzhang took Wei Hansu's arm and said, "Seventh sister, let's go."

"...Ah!" Wei Hansu seemed to come back to her senses, her face inexplicably red, she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and said: "Yes, let's go, let's go..."

“……”Wei Hanzhang was a little puzzled, but didn’t ask anything and took her arm across the road.

The two sisters entered the teahouse, which also had three floors, but the difference was that the rooftops were connected. The second and third floors were private rooms. Sitting by the window, they could just see the excitement downstairs.

Aunt Mei booked a private room on the second floor for them.

After Mei Gu left, Wei Hansu took a sip of herbal tea and asked hesitantly, "Ran Ran, do you know... who was the man leading the group just now?"

Wei Hanzhang was stunned and asked, "Are you talking about the son of Duke Chen, Chen Zishu?"

"...Hey, keep your voice down!" Wei Hansu looked down carefully, and when she saw no one looking up in this direction, she breathed a sigh of relief and said shyly, "It's him, I saw him looking towards us just now... Tell me, tell me,...will he?"

"……What?"

Wei Hansu glanced at her and said quickly, "What else could it be... Just now he was looking at you and me, Ranran, and you were wearing a veil, so your face was not even exposed... I think he was looking at me."

She held her chin with one hand, her eyes full of girlish shyness and anticipation...

This made Wei Hanzhang silent.

Chen Zishu once proposed to her and asked for a generous gift in return within one day. This was a very embarrassing matter, and Liu kept it a secret. Few people in the family knew about it, let alone Wei Hansu, the concubine's daughter.

Seeing her misunderstanding, Wei Hanzhang didn't know how to explain.

Firstly, this is not a very decent thing. The more people know about it, the greater the risk of it being spread out. Not only will it be detrimental to her reputation, it will also affect the relationship between Chen Zishu and Xiao Boqian, the emperor and his subject.

Secondly, Wei Hansu had gained some confidence, so how could he burst her fantasy...

While he was hesitating, Wei Hansu, who had been looking downstairs, stared and said, "Ranran, look, is that the young master of the Gu family?"

The young master of the Gu family?

...Which young master of the Gu family could Wei Hansu know? Apart from Gu Yunran who had come to see her every day before, who else could it be?

Wei Hanzhang was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction she was looking.

(End of this chapter)